Expertise France, the French agency for international development and cooperation, has continued to support the emergency response capabilities of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Joint Crisis Coordination Center (JCC).
The JCC In a post on X on Sunday said that their staff had received the second round of training on risk management and GIS mapping.
“The training strengthens preparedness by enhancing capacities to assess potential damage and plan for future emergencies,” the JCC said.
“In December 2024, the Ministry of Interior/JCC signed a joint declaration with Expertise France, which belongs to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” JCC Director General Srwa Rasul told Kurdistan Chronicle.
As part of the ongoing partnership between #MOI/JCC & @expertisefrance, JCC staff are receiving the second training on risk management& GIS mapping.The training strengthens preparedness by enhancing capacities to assess potential damage and plan for future emergencies @YannBraem pic.twitter.com/aiXmd4jVfi
— JCC_KRG (@JccKrg) August 10, 2025
“The project aims to reduce risks and enhance the emergency response capabilities of the Kurdistan Region.”
According to the website of France Expertise, the project focuses on reducing deaths, injuries, and economic losses caused by disasters, especially water-related events and urban fires. The project will support key civil defense and emergency management institutions in the Kurdistan Region.
The JCC head added that the first phase of the project, valued at €1.5 million, is also designed to strengthen the Kurdistan Region’s disaster preparedness and resilience through expert support and targeted interventions.
The first step of the project involves the creation of a specialized water rescue team for the Kurdistan Region that will receive training in France, including practical river exercises.
Avec @RayberAhmed, étape importante de la coopération sécurité civile entre la #France et le #Kurdistan: remise d'équipements de :
— Yann Braem (@YannBraem) July 20, 2025
➡️lutte contre les feux urbains
➡️sauvetage en cas d'innondations
Les formations vont continuer, avec @ExpertiseFrance, @JccKrg et @ECHO_MiddleEast pic.twitter.com/x9xUlHT008
“Once trained, the teams will be fully equipped in accordance with international standards. In addition, the trained members will become certified trainers, enabling them to build water rescue capacity among Civil Defense personnel throughout the region,” Rasul said.
Furthermore, a comprehensive risk assessment document for the Kurdistan Region will be created, where first responders identify vulnerable areas and risk management strategies and incorporate GIS and mapping technologies. This includes six training sessions over the course of the year, two of which have been completed and the third of which is ongoing.
Additional activities include flood awareness sessions for crisis responder and rapid response teams, installation of a fire simulation training container, renewal of the CRT vehicle, and a mobile classroom to extend training and awareness to rural areas.
On July 20, France’s Consul General in Erbil Yann Braem, along with KRG Minister of Interior Reber Ahmed, participated in a ceremony in which equipment was delivered by France for fighting urban fires and conducting rescue operations in case of floods. “The training will continue,” he said.
